Silence
by Rikako
Summary: Itachi brings home a small boy covered in bruises that doesn't speak a word to anyone. Can he be cured, or is there more to his past than Itachi is willing to share? SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

Itachi always came home on the weekends.

No matter how much work he had, he always found a way to come back and bring me a gift from those faraway places that he visited. He always brought back toys or some kind of exotic fruit, so I learned not to miss him as much as I used to.

My dad always said that Itachi was kind-hearted. That's why he decided to follow medicine and become a charity worker instead of taking on the family business. I didn't know if that was true, or if he just didn't like the monotonous office life. I guess I never did take my time to look at him, or ask him why he did what he did. I just thought that maybe some people grew up wrong…and didn't care much for power; I know I couldn't live like that.

He would always smile at me as he came home and awkwardly poke my forehead, something he had been doing since I was little. I would have told him to stop long ago if it wasn't for the fact that it made me feel as if our old brotherly bond was there, even if his stare was always elsewhere. I didn't dare ask him what it was that he saw out there where life was still on the borderline of uncivilized. He never spoke about it either, so we managed to live without mentioning it. Mom always thought that he worked too hard, and that he would be better off working in the Konoha General, but he wouldn't change his mind for the world. I guess that she never could convince him, and even after they died in the car crash, Itachi wasn't able to come home for more than two days. I was left in the care of our butler, and the occasional call from him was all that I would hear during school days. He dealt with our parent's death in a different manner I guess, as did I.

I was about to enter my 7th year in middle school when Itachi called one Monday morning and told me he was coming home, which surprised me, as he never traveled during the week. I merely agreed and hung up, as I was getting late to school, and didn't think much more on it. Our parent's death date was coming up, so I took it as a visit to honor them. I got home later that day and he confronted me as I walked in the front door.

"We need to talk."

He led me to the living room, and sat me down as I noticed that our butler wasn't around. I wondered where he has gone off to but decided not to mention it as I looked at Itachi's troubled face.

"Don't take it wrong, I don't mean to upset you or uncomfort you, but something's happened."

I just continued to stare at him, I didn't know if I should speak or not. Was he sick or something? Did we lose all our shares in the business and were on the brink of being broke? His face was stoic but he brought a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"I'm coming home. To live. Permanently. I already called up Tsunade in the hospital and she offered me a job in pediatric care."

"So what's the problem?"

He looked up at me and smiled softly, sadly.

He was about to open his mouth when a loud crash filled the living room, and Itachi jumped to his feet and ran to the guest room. I followed him as thoughts of a possible burglar filled my head. I was sure it hadn't been the butler; he was usually very careful and would never break something, despite his advancing age. He was a butler afterall. Itachi left the door open as I noticed that the butler stepped out on his command, a weird look on his old face. He didn't say anything to me and walked downstairs as I heard Itachi call me.

"Sasuke, please come in. This is what I wanted to tell you."

I froze at the sight of a mangled blond kid, maybe about 6 to 7 years old. His blue eyes stared at me with apprehension as he clutched unto Itachi's arm. There were bruises on his face and every uncovered spot on his body, and visibly red scars on his cheeks, three on each side. He looked like a small fox that had just been hit by about 20 cars one after another. He curled up against Itachi, who was kneeling beside him trying to calm him down. The kid didn't utter a single word, not even a whimper or cry.

"His name is Naruto,"

I looked at the source of the crash and frowned. The mirror was broken, and a lamp was laying not far from the shattered pieces in a bended position. Whoever threw it had a strong arm. "And?" I asked my brother with a glare.

"He'll be staying with us from now."

He didn't explain to me why he was covered in bruises, or why he was staying with us. I didn't dare ask, as sometimes there are some questions that shouldn't be answered. "Well that's great, guess now we'll have that guard dog you always wanted." That boy, Naruto, continued to stare at me, and I didn't care much from him. He was oddly dressed in Itachi's clothes and those eyes just made me shiver. There was something in there that I really didn't want to know how it got in him, or who put it there. I didn't think that kid would ever affect me, as I reckoned he would be gone as soon as Itachi fixed whatever was wrong with him. I didn't want to be close. Not again.

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**Hey guys...xD I'm sorry I'm a spazz and am unable to finish anything xD but it's been years since inspiration stroke me and now I have this idea in my head that I want to get down before I lose it. So this is the intro, and I will be posting the rest up later, as it'll be as long as my imagination can will it be. I hope you like it and don't get bored with it xD haven't been on fanfiction for so long and I haven't been up to date with new stories, so yea xD hope you enjoy it and follow along with what my brain comes up with, as it is rusted xD **


	2. Chapter 2

That little demon seed, Naruto, doesn't seem very aware that those that live around him need to sleep at least 6 hours in order to function in the morning. It's been roughly about a week since Itachi brought him home and I'm still waiting for him to explain what in the world made him think that bringing that child home would be a good thing.

He doesn't eat, he doesn't speak. He just sits next to Itachi whenever they're home, staring at everything around him and even at me whenever I'm around. Apparently he was being examined at Konoha General by a large team of doctors that were trying to fix him, inside and out. Little by little the bruises and scars on his skin began to heal and fade away, although I heard Itachi mention that the scars on his cheeks were too deep. Those would definitely leave lifelong scars. I'm sure they have creams for that nowadays, so it's like not it's that big a deal…

The constant thumps and bumps that come out of his room are what bother me. I can spend all day out just to avoid him but it's the night that I have come to dread. Not of fear but exasperation. I'm sure Itachi doesn't feel it, as he's in the completely opposite side of the house, but I'm sure he knows, and purposely put him near my room so that I can listen to that non-rhythmic pounding that comes from his bedroom.

"Why don't you just go in there one night and slap the living hell out of the blondie?" Suigetsu mused as he took a long gulp from his bottle. He had some sort of addiction to water and made sure never to be more than a few minutes without a Dasani in his hands. I'm sure that too much water can poison a person, and I can bet his hair is so silvery because of his constant intake of it,but he seemed to hold-up pretty well so I never mention anything, it's not my life after all.

"And risk Itachi hearing me? I cherish my life." Jugo laughed at that, which I responded with a glare. For someone as tall as he was, he seemed to find me intimidating. I simply preferred not to have him as an enemy, otherwise he could kill me in one blow. "If it were me I would have beaten that little runt long ago, the little bitch." Suigetsu continued his long rant of curses, and I didn't care to tell them that I had already thought about doing that many times during the past sleepless nights. It's never a good thing to tell Suigetsu that he's right, or else he'll make a god out of himself.

By the time lunch was over, I had decided that yes, I would confront that little blond damnation. I needed to sleep, it was the only thing I asked for since Itachi returned, taking notice that all of his attention has been centered on Naruto, and has yet to even ask me of how I've been holding up since the accident. So, it's not like I'm jealous, I just want peace.

Tanaka picked me up as usual and by the time we got home so had Itachi and Naruto, who to my surprise, had sat down in front of the TV with a cup of instant noodles.

"He could at least use the kitchen table." Itachi laughed and poked my forehead, which actually comforted after having him basically ignore me this whole week.

"Play nice Sasuke, he's just a kid."

I shot him daggers with my glare and walked to my room. Well, that moment didn't last very long.

By the time Tanaka came to my room with dinner, Naruto had found his way to my doorway and stared at me silently. As much as I wanted to close the door in his face, I didn't want to lose this battle. I didn't want him to think that he had me beat as well. He had to respect me, even if we would have to play at this staring game all night. The alpha-dog doesn't turn his gaze away, ever. Eventually Itachi came by and smiled as he watched us stare at one another. My dinner had probably gotten cold by then, yet I wasn't feeling hungry at all. This little thing was invading my house, my territory, and I wasn't about to let him win.

"Come on, Naruto, time for bed." Naruto stood up and grabbed Itachi's outstretched hand, his blue eyes never once leaving me. "Say goodnight to Sasuke."

"He's not a baby, don't tell him what to do."

Naruto waved at me anyways. They disappeared and I turned back to my homework, but I could feel my body shaking slightly. I could feel so much anger building up in my gut. I just wanted that little brat gone and quickly.

Maybe then Itachi would remember that he has a brother.

Tanaka returned a little later on and removed the tray he had left 2 hours earlier, merely looking at the food that laid untouched.

Midnight had finally arrived and the thumping began like usual. _Wait a little, maybe he finally learned that I'm the boss here._ I listened quietly, hoping that today he would stop,feeling every muscle in my body stiffen with the tension. I really didn't want to hit the little kid, but he was giving me no other choice. He had to learn, right?

The thumps grew louder and I pulled the sheets away from me, standing up carefully as if not to make any noise. I made my way out of my room and into the hallways swiftly, listening closely for any sign of Itachi or Tanaka. The closer I got to his room the louder the thumps were. My teeth gritted together, my fists rolling into tight balls. Why in the world would Itachi bring him here? Couldn't his parents take care of him? Some sort of relative? Orphanage? Why did he have to come here and disrupt my calm existence? I grabbed unto the doorknob, feeling a bead of sweat running down my forehead. I didn't even notice I had begun to get so worked up over something so little. I opened the door quickly and quietly and entered. I was about to make my way to the bed when I froze.

Naruto was thrashing about in his bed, an agonizing look on his face. His mouth was wide open as if he was screaming but no sound came out. His legs kicked against the mattress, his arms flailing and even hitting against the wall behind him. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he was covered in sweat, his hands scratching at something that only existed in his mind.

At that moment there was no more hate. I couldn't feel anything seeing him suffer that way. What happened to make him dream like that? I tried to call his name but found my mouth was dry and my throat had closed up. My feet moved unwillingly and I found myself by his bedside, my hand reaching out as he started to curl into a little ball, his small body shivering violently. I climbed into bed with him and wrapped my arms around him when he jumped at the shift in the bed. "Naruto," that was the first time I called his name, "It's ok, you're here with…with me and Itachi." His shaking stopped and I felt his head tilt upwards. I looked down and found myself staring into those wide orbs of blue, finding some sort of hope within them. He continued to shed tears and burrowed his head in my chest, his small arms wrapping around me. I don't know at what time I made my way back to my room, but the sun was starting to creep over the horizon when I stood before my window. I don't know what time Naruto fell asleep, this time without making another noise for the rest of the night. I don't even know why I held him when just a few hours ago I didn't even want to see him.

I washed my face, rubbing the redness from my eyes and the red streaks from my cheeks. I knew why Itachi brought him home. That kid was alone and saw something at his young age that he shouldn't have. I didn't care about it anymore, and I didn't want to know. By the time Tanaka came by with breakfast I had printed out some pages with simple sign language, and by the time I left for school I had made up my mind. I would protect Naruto and make sure that he'll get past whatever it was that he has gone through. He won't suffer anymore, as long I can be by his side.

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**:O I don't know how well that one came out, cause I just rushed to get it out before I forgot it xP Did it seem to soon for Sasuke to accept Naruto? I think so xD but I'm happy with it nonetheless xD Hope you guys are too! Thank you so much for reading and making me excited about this story, your reviews definitely made me move my lazy butt into writing it more ^^ Love you! **


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto has a hard time learning sign language, which makes me wonder just how recent his muteness is. Itachi mentioned that Naruto didn't speak English and that was the icing on the cake. I was trying to teach him sign language in a language that he didn't understand. How could I explain to him what the signs meant when we had a language barrier? He still smiled at me and tried to play along as I tried to explain it to him, his beautiful blue eyes staring at me with entertained confusion.

Eventually he started to get the hang of it, but his bad memory caused him to forget a lot of the more complicated signs. He would pause and then angrily move his arms and hands trying to interpret his thoughts throughout incoherent words. At one point I gave him a pen and paper to write down whatever it was that he was thinking, hoping that I could find a translator online that could help me out, but his handwriting was illegible. Completely atrocious and I couldn't even begin to decipher what language it was, so I gave up on it soon afterwards. However, I began to find a lot of little drawings next to my bed soon after that. Most of which found themselves hidden under my sock drawer…very deep in it.

He still had nightmares in the middle of the night, and I would try to always wake him from them before it got too early in the morning and I couldn't get another hour or two of sleep before school. He no longer went rigid at my touch, but rather woke when I climbed unto his bed and cuddled against me instantly. I was beginning to think that he was doing it on purpose.

I heard a tap against the dining table and Naruto's bright smile pulled me from my recap of the week's mishaps. "What. Thinking." He managed to say after a moment's thoughts. He didn't have a natural knack for sign language but he seemed to be learning English quicker than what I expected. "Big kid stuff." I answered curtly but I saw his smile widen and his little shoulders shake slightly. I guess he was laughing.

Itachi had brought him clothes that were made for kids and not grown men along with some colored pencils in an attempt to encourage some sort of outlet for whatever it was that was still eating his mind. I didn't want to imagine Naruto drawing something like that, but apparently the psychologist he was seeing, Inoichi Yamanaka, could see the most inner depths of his small mind just by contemplating the way one of his little colored trees looked, or how many windows he drew on a house. I didn't see how that could happen…they were just drawings from a 7 year old's vivid imagination. There was no logic behind it.

Naruto looked at me again with a puzzled look on his face. He made a question mark with one hand cupped and the other forming a circle. I held back my desire to crack a smile and raised an eyebrow at him. "Isn't time to go to bed already?" He quickly shook his head at me, but Itachi had already looked up from his paperwork and checked his watch. "Yep, it is. Say good night to Sasuke." Naruto pouted a bit but grabbed unto Itachi's outstretched hand anyways, waving his hand at me and he walked out the door.

It didn't take long before Itachi came back and sat back down on his side of the table. Ever since I was on good terms with Naruto, we had made the dining room into a shared study where I did my homework, Itachi his paperwork, and Naruto doodled on any unguarded piece of paper. I was about to close my last book when I felt Itachi's eyes on me, which was rare nowadays, but I had gotten used to it since I was also very distracted by that little ball of yellow.

"Well?"  
"I'm really glad you and Naruto are getting along."

I looked at him with an exasperated glare. Was it really that big a deal? The kid was lonely, I was just helping him cope with it.

"Is that all?" I asked as I noticed that his folders where neatly stacked to one side. He wasn't working anymore, which probably meant that I was about to have some sort of sermon or speech.

"I'll be plain with you," Itachi pulled his eyeglasses off and looked at me directly, "Naruto has some sort of trauma, we're not sure what caused it – there was a small shift in his eyes then but I didn't think too much of it – and that's the reason for his muteness. We have run numerous tests and found nothing wrong with him physically. Tsunade reckons it's just a matter of time before he decides to speak again."

I felt like there was something more to this talk than just an explanation to why Naruto seemed to spend all day in the hospital, and Itachi kept his mouth open slightly, his eyes staring at me but looking elsewhere.

"Thank you for letting him in…" he stood up and left after that, leaving my mind racing. Itachi had bitten his lips shortly before his last sentence, a look of pure worry on his face. Was it for Naruto, or was he worried about me getting too close to him? It's not like I was going to rape the kid. I'm not into younger men.

* * *

I walked up to Naruto's bedside once more and while crawling into it I wondered if this is what it felt like to have a younger brother. Did Itachi ever climb into bed with me when I was young to scare away all that monsters that hid in the closet? If he did, I didn't remember, or chose not to. Uchiha's don't do afraid.

I rubbed his back soothingly, sighing as my eyes burned with grogginess.

"Next time, just come over to my room." I told him through a small yawn, clutching him closer to me as I felt sleep overcome me. I felt him nod against my chest and his fingers curled into my nightshirt. I bet that was the worst mistake I have ever made, but I was tired of making that short walk to his bedroom every night. I'm sure he could do half of the work himself.

The next morning I found myself being woken up by a small hand that shook my arm. I looked up to see Naruto smiling at me and my eyes widened when I managed to raise my head and look around. My room was filled with his drawings and his clothes were in a small pile next to my dresser. The frog shaped pillow that Itachi had given him laid right next to me and I noticed that the unused side of my bed was messy. He had taken my order just a little too seriously. "You gonna live here with me now?" I asked him jokingly, but he smiled wider and nodded a yes. "Well that's great, now I'm going to get even less sleep." I was sure Itachi witnessed the strange act with a smile on his face, since when I went down for breakfast he was already asking Naruto where he was going to sleep now that his bedroom was empty. Naruto just pointed at me and if my brother wasn't Itachi, I bet he would have cracked up laughing. And thank god it was Itachi.

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**...I sooo didn't spend yesterday creeping into the profiles of those who follow this story and spend my free time reading theirs... . Lol, just felt curious and caught up on some reading on those of you who took the time to read mine ^^ so thank you for reading this one too! It was more detailed this time I think xD But thank you so much to those of you that put this story on alert, it really just made me so happy :D Oh and this is for my friend that read it even though I don't think he's really into yaoi and liked it lol Thank you! Going to try and not get distracted so that I can post this up before classes start here...otherwise it'll be longer periods of time between chapters...which I don't like because I start to lose sight of the story itself...now I'm rambling lol Thank you again, love you even if I don't know you just because you're giving my story your time of day! 3**


	4. Chapter 4

Suigetsu liked to play with Naruto, but I always made sure never to leave the two of them alone, as Suigetsu has a weakness for beauty.

"I can't believe you used to complain so much about him! He's so cute!" he began to repeatedly ask me as he spent more time with Naruto. I was beginning to think that bringing him home with me was a bad idea.

"Don't worry Sasuke, I'm true to you." He laughed one day when while playing with the blondie I glared at the hand that was too comfortably settled on the small shoulder. I scoffed at him and turned my glare away, still making sure that they were still near my range of sight. "Are you brother's girlfriend?" Naruto smiled innocently at Suigetsu, who luckily didn't even know the first thing about sign language, as I almost fell off my chair. "Yes-s Naruto, I promise I'll come back tomorrow." Suigetsu hugged Naruto and I quickly stood up to separate them. Naruto frowned in confusion which I guess was aimed at the water-addict's answer, but I could feel the skin on his arms begin to rise. He still didn't feel comfortable being touched by someone other than Itachi or me, but I could tell that he was making an effort to let Suigetsu in, even if he felt obligated to, and even if I didn't like it that much.

Naruto smiled up at me then, his blue eyes twinkling visibly under the mid-afternoon sun that was half-hidden behind a patch of clouds. "Brother has an ugly girlfriend." He grinned widely and his small shoulders shook in laughter. I purse my lips and shoot him a small glare. "He is not my girlfriend." I answer back with my hands. I didn't want Suigetsu to hear me. And truthfully he wasn't, we were just friends with benefits, and around Naruto I always made sure not to let Suigetsu get too touchy feely with me, which wasn't really a problem since Naruto called everyone's attention when he was around. He was like the sun, and I knew that someone he would shine just as bright.

* * *

"Iruka is coming today right?" Naruto asks me from the windowsill, his small nose scrunching up in dislike. "Shouldn't you call him by his last name?" He shakes his head and jumps down to sit next to me. "His classes are boring." I roll my eyes. Iruka Umino was Naruto's homeschool teacher that Itachi had called to instruct him in everything a normal 7 year old should be learning, and his experience with sign language was helping the small blondie learn signs quicker, though he really disliked anything other than English and Arts and Crafts. "You should be happy that he has so much patience with you" I turn back to the book I was reading but I could feel that he was staring at me with confused eyes. He was learning quicker, but that didn't mean that he was having less trouble understanding me. A few minutes pass and I continue to pretend that I am reading my book as Naruto rocks himself back and forth next to me on the couch, his mouth forming little spit bubbles that popped the moment he tried to open his mouth wider. He tires of this quickly though, and turns to rocking side to side, his legs kicking aimlessly in the air as he stares at the small letters from my book. I turn the page aimlessly, continuing to watch him as he begins to stare at me now, his lips mouthing my name, his small stomach contracting as he tries to make some noise emerge from his vocal cords, his brows furrowing as he fails to produce even the smallest peep. Something inside of me was really hoping that this time he would be able to at least make out the "Sah" he was trying so hard to voice out, yet I still felt my heartbreak when he couldn't, cause I knew that even if Itachi said that it wouldn't be long before Naruto could speak again, he will never recover from whatever it is that happened to him…and he will never speak again.

* * *

Iruka left before dinner, but I could still hear him talking to Itachi in the living room as I ate with Naruto in the dining room. He wasn't complaining, even though Naruto had once again driven him to the brink of madness with his childish way of misunderstanding the simplest of tasks and making fun of anything Iruka tried to tell him. I knew Iruka was beginning to get the same feeling towards the small kid that Itachi and I had grown over the few months that he has spent with us. Even if he drove us mad at times, he was still the cutest thing and the anger would dissipate in a few minutes.

I look over at him and couldn't help the small smirk that spreads across my face. He still had a lot to learn about manners and learning to aim the spoon full of food at his mouth and not everywhere around it. His favorite food was still the cup of instant noodles, Maruchan being his favorite brand, but Tanaka was determined to get him to eat something other than that sodium bomb that somehow got in the house, and tried making new dishes every night, in some sort of attempt to get him to leave that habit. Naruto smiles as he notices that I was observing him, and automatically grabs a napkin. I guess he read the impression on my face well enough.

"If you don't like the food, tell Mr. Tanaka to make you a cup of noodles." Itachi laughs from the doorway as he sees the same scene I was watching. "Don't spoil him, you know those things are bad for him." I quickly reproach as Naruto almost jumped off his seat. I raise my eyebrow at the blue eyes that are pleading at me. I was supposed to be the one that took care of him and helped him recover, and if I can help it, he will never again eat that cup of death again.

* * *

"I want to go to school." I stopped washing his back and turned him to face me. Itachi was watching us from the bathtub and merely faked being distracted with the steam that rose from the warm water. "You have to learn English first."

"But I know!"

"Not completely." His lips purse and he crosses his arms over his bare chest. Itachi had told me a while back that it was natural for Naruto to want to be around other kids his age, though I didn't take him seriously at the time. I played with him, helped him with his homework and spent as much time as I could with him. I was enough…Well, I **had** been enough.

"No." I repeat. Obviously it wasn't my decision, but Naruto knew that if I said no, even if Itachi said otherwise, it meant no. It was my bed he slept in afterall…and I'm just not ready to let him out into the world yet.

As he crawls into bed next to me, I see a small glint of the same sadness I saw when he first arrived. Naruto hadn't forgotten what happened, and that actually hurt me in some way. I knew that he wouldn't be okay after just a few months away, but for some reason I had forgotten. Forgotten that he was hurt, that he was once covered in scars that even though had disappeared he still felt with the same intensity as the first time they were made. "You're a strong little guy." I whisper against his hair as he cuddles closer to me. He winces at me, trying to make out my face in the dark, and shrugs, his lips forming a small pout. He didn't understand, and I don't think he will any time soon. He just lives his life as best as he can, being happy with a frog pillow and a cup of noodles a day.

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_**Sorry that I was so late in publishing this one. It took me a while before I had some free time to write and then my USB flash memory caught HIV and died on me (jk about the HIV thing I know it´s a touchy subject x.x) so now that I finally bought another I was able to move the document from my computer to one that has internet connection and well, here I am :D Hope you enjoy it ^-^.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto smiles at me from the door way, his small body dressed in a dark-blue suit with a red tie standing out over a white button shirt, a small backpack still half-way up his arms and his shoelaces untied. I had insisted on him not attending a public school until he could at least defend himself in all his subjects, but I still felt a bit of apprehension knowing that he would be around other kids…and children can be the coldest of enemies. "You should get going as well, can't be late for your first day of school." Itachi pats me on the back happily and I roll my eyes at him. Naruto's body was radiating with excitement, his small feet bobbing to and fro. I bend down to tie his shoelaces and I felt his hand rest on my head. "I'll be ok, so don't worry." He says as I look up at him. "It's not you I'm worried about. You'll drive your teacher to the brink of madness." Naruto looks over at Itachi in puzzlement, who replies by drawing imaginary circles on his temple, and Naruto laughs silently. "Nii-san has it worse, he can't find a pretty girlfriend." Itachi chuckles behind me and I almost growl. I was tired of telling him that Suigetsu wasn't my girlfriend…he wasn't even a girl afterall.

Naruto waves as Tanaka pulls away from the driveway, almost jumping as we got further away. He still had another hour to kill before he could go to school and Itachi would most probably be the one to drop him off, but I still felt uneasy. I wasn't sure how the other kids would react to his silence, and I was certain that they would be as forgiving as my old classmates had been, and the teachers would do very little to help.

* * *

Itachi walks in the classroom with Naruto's hand in his, a bit of apprehension on those cerulean eyes but a big smile on that tan face. I was surprised to see Iruka sitting in the front of the room, but I guessed that Itachi had asked him to, and with his connections with half of Konoha, it had probably been easy to put him there. "Do you want me to stay with you today?" Naruto shakes his head and smiles wider. "I'm ok, Mr. Iruka is here." Iruka blushes slightly and Itachi sighs, "Alright," he ruffles Naruto's hair and turns to Iruka, "If anything happens please be sure to call me." More students began to walk in, their parents waving them off from the doorway as Itachi hugs Naruto one last time before leaving. Many of the small children remain silent as they wait for a familiar face to arrive, sitting quietly in the desks that already had their names written in the front. Naruto keeps his eyes down, staring uncomfortably as his hands as he waits for something to happen before he notices the dark haired boy with red paint on his face that approached him cheerfully. "Hi! I'm Kiba! You're new aren't you?" He bends down and reads the tag on Naruto's desk slowly. "Na..Naru..Naruto! You're Naruto huh?" Naruto nods and smiles shyly, making out a "Nice to meet you" that Kiba most probably didn't understand. Kiba's head tilts to one side, his lips pursing in confusion. "Please sit down, we'll do introductions once everyone is here." Iruka quickly intervened before Kiba could say anything else, but I already saw the sudden fear in Naruto's eyes. I had warned him about this, but Naruto had been stubborn, and had refused to listen.

After Iruka presents himself to the class, one by one the students stand up and say their names, their favorite animal, and favorite color, and I could still see that Naruto was becoming more and more nervous. He was almost at the end of the class, his desk a few feet away from the door that remained open in case anyone else came in. His eyes widen as a girl stands up, his small mouth gaping open. "My name is Sakura, my favorite animals are kittens, and I love pink!" I wonder if her mother really let her obsession with that horrible color go as far as let her dye her hair pink, or if it was temporary, but pink hair certainly didn't fit her, or anyone in that matter. For some reason it caught Naruto's attention, which I really don't like. He suddenly gets more nervous, I can see his small hands beginning to shake. Just before the kid in front of him sits down, Naruto stands and walks towards the whiteboard. He takes a marker in his hand and pulls Iruka's chair against the wall. He stands and begins to write what we had practiced many times over the summer vacation. "My name is Naruto" was clearly legible against the white background, his name underlined three times over. Under that, he begins to draw a figure that I guess is a frog, and grabbing another marker he draws an orange circle. He turns around and beams at his new classmates, waving at them and bowing once. "Naruto can't speak, but that doesn't mean that he less smart than any of you. I'm sure you'll all treat him the same as any other person, right?" the class agrees in unison and Naruto makes his way back to his seat happily, whilst the shadow of a security guard forces me to move from the window and find a hiding spot amongst the bushes.

The bell rings and the playground begins fill with young children. I see Naruto's blond hair shine from afar and decide to make my way over to where he is, though I'm not sure how to make it past the security unseen. I could see Iruka stand just outside the doorway, watching his student's carefully, keeping most of this attention centered on Naruto, who had immediately been surrounded by a few of his classmates. I could feel my chest tighten up and the beats of my heart speed. I had already decided at home that if any of the kids tried to bully him, I wouldn't go easy on them. I notice the red-streaked face of the kid from before, Kiba as he had said, standing right in front of Naruto, and a sudden "I knew he was a bad kid from the moment I saw him" thought pops into my head. My body's trembling and I am still too far away to hear anything that they are saying to my small blondie, but I can't see any signs of fear in his face. On the contrary, he's smiling.

"I'm glad!" I manage to see him say, a small laugh escaping his lips. Kiba, along with another dark haired boy that wore glasses named Shino if I remember correctly, turn to the rest of the group, all of which seem to nod except for that pink haired girl that I was quickly learning to hate. She shakes her head and walks away, a blond girl following after her. I can tell Naruto's eyes glistened over, but it disappeared the moment the other kids started to spread out, Kiba beckoning to him, a game starting between the new classmates.

* * *

"What time is this to show up, Sasuke?! We're well into 6th period just so you know! I know it's the first day, but be a little more responsible!" Suigetsu caught me while I was sneaking into school, a bathroom pass in his hand.

"I was just about to call you, you always text me whenever you're sick. Thought you might need me to go over and give you a little TLC" he pouts his lips towards me, which I greet with a punch to his chest. He lets out a yelp and a dramatic tear falls from his eye, "That's so mean of you Sasuke! Can't you treat your man-whore with some love and respect?"

"Let it be stated here that I have never called you that, you said it yourself." I walk away and almost chuckle as I hear a last "How cruel!" come out of his whiny mouth. I guess that today was one of the few days that he actually forgot to carry his water bottles and he tends to get PMS-y when that happens.

I'm not called on despite entering with almost 20 minutes left of class, the teacher simply peers at me through the corner of his eye and continues to go on about the books we're supposed to read by the end of the year. I had decided to leave the elementary school after recess had ended and Naruto had settled back in his classroom. I'm still not happy about him being there, even if some kids where actually raised well enough to not be prejudice, I don't like the number of them that still stare at him like he's some sort of freak, like that pink haired rat who Naruto had looked at so fondly in the morning. I know that I can't protect him forever, no one can stand in the way of someone else's freedom, but I just wish that there was something I could do to keep Naruto smiling.

* * *

Naruto's footsteps echo loudly in the almost empty house as he rushes to meet us in the living room. Itachi had been quiet since I arrived, merely smiling coyly at me, as if tempting me to say something I don't want to say. The small blond runs right into Itachi's arms, giving him a hug that had never held so much tenderness. "Thank you Itachi!" he says after letting go of the now flustered man. "I suppose you had a good day." Itachi laughs as Naruto nods enthusiastically. "I made 2 friends! Well, 3 but she's a little shy." I frown, I don't remember seeing a girl in the group that had accepted to play with him, maybe it happened after recess. Itachi glances at me and I see that his smile grows wider. "That's great Naruto! I'm glad you had fun, now go get changed so we can go out for ice cream, we have to celebrate your first day after all." He turns to me after Naruto runs off, his smile even bigger now. "Surprised Naruto didn't see you, that would have been a rather fun story to tell." I feel my cheeks heat up and turn my face back to the book I was reading. "I don't know what you're talking about." I reply cooly, but my hands are sweating slightly. "Oh, then I guess it was some other over-protective brother skipping class and hiding in an elementary school like some sort of pedophile." I almost hear Tanaka's stifled chuckle, but he chooses to quickly go help Naruto change before I could turn to glare at him. Itachi comes over to me and ruffles my hair slightly, to which I angrily turn my glare upwards to him. He knows how much I care about keeping my hair well done, and it takes me long enough in the morning to tame it with my brush for him to undo all that work in two seconds. "Naruto needs to adapt back into society. He can't live in fear of others his entire life. Have faith in him and in others, he'll be fine." But as he turns to leave, I doubt that I can ever come to believe that…

* * *

I feel a small body snuggling up against me and my arm instinctively moves over to embrace him. Eventually, just as he now begins to part from me to make new bonds with new people, he will no longer have the need to sleep with me as he begins to grow up into the rebellious teen I am sure he will become. His small finger pokes my chest and I look down and find him smiling up at me. "Thank you for letting me go to school, I really liked it." His head presses harder against me and it isn't long before he is fast asleep. My chest tightens up…I wonder if this is what letting your kid leave the nest feels like. I'm glad I'm never going to have kids.

* * *

**Ummm...sorry it took so long...lol...hope you still enjoy it! It´s still a looong ways off before ending, so I hope I can get enough free time to continue writing it. :) Thanks for reading!**


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